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Title: Reconciling satellite aerosol optical thickness and surface fine particle mass through aerosol liquid water

Journal Article · · Geophysical Research Letters
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL070994· OSTI ID:1392096

Summertime aerosol optical thickness (AOT) over the southeast U.S. is sharply enhanced over wintertime values. This seasonal pattern is unique and of particular interest because temperatures there have not warmed over the past 100 years. Patterns in surface fine particle mass are inconsistent with satellite reported AOT. In this work, we attempt to reconcile the spatial and temporal distribution of AOT over the U.S. with particle mass measurements at the surface by examining trends in aerosol liquid water (ALW), a particle constituent that scatters radiation and affects satellite AOT but is removed in mass measurements at routine surface monitoring sites. Herein, we employ the thermodynamic model ISORROPIAv2.1 to estimate ALW mass concentrations at Interagency Monitoring of PROtected Visual Environments sites using measured ion mass concentrations and North American Regional Reanalysis meteorological data. Excellent agreement between Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations AOT and estimated ALW provides a plausible explanation for the discrepancies in the geographical patterns of AOT and aerosol mass measurements.

Research Organization:
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USEPA; National Science Foundation (NSF); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)
Contributing Organization:
Atmospheric System Research
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-06CH11357; R835041; AGS-1242155; AGS-1445831
OSTI ID:
1392096
Journal Information:
Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 43, Issue 22; ISSN 0094-8276
Publisher:
American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 18 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (3)

Aerosol water parameterization: long-term evaluation and importance for climate studies journal January 2018
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